# What's your 'signature' dish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970 "2012-10-07T05:17:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/21 "2012-10-07T16:08:12Z")
Family and close friends typically get a pie from me on their birthday. Most requested are pecan and apple crumb, though I have a holdout each for cherry and blueberry. If I don’t make red velvet cake with flour icing (not cream cheese!) for Christmas, there is pouting. I also do an oven roasted asparagus with brown butter sauce that people swear they cannot replicate even with the recipe. It has five ingredients including the asparagus, so I’m not sure what they could be screwing up. But whatever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/22 "2012-10-07T16:14:37Z")
I have one friend who periodically asks wistfully when I’m making chicken and sausage gumbo again, and another who checks for meat pies when I bring things to a potluck. Mostly, though, people look for my blueberry and cream cheese pie. I’m not sure just why it’s so popular, but it always goes fast. ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/23 "2012-10-07T18:05:25Z")
I eat out all the time due to not knowing how to cook, so I’ll have to go with my toast platter. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/24 "2012-10-07T19:45:34Z")
> [@StuffLikeThatThere](#): > > If I don’t make red velvet cake with flour icing (not cream cheese!) for Christmas, there is pouting. My all-time favorite cake! I think cream cheese icing is a bit heavy for the cake, but that’s my personal opinion. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/25 "2012-10-07T19:45:57Z")
Olive and sundried tomato tapenade with baguette slices Smoked salmon spread/dip No recipes per se; they’re simple to make, but for some reason I get asked for those a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/26 "2012-10-07T19:46:49Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > I have one friend who periodically asks wistfully when I’m making chicken and sausage gumbo again, and another who checks for meat pies when I bring things to a potluck. Mostly, though, people look for my blueberry and cream cheese pie. I’m not sure just why it’s so popular, but it always goes fast. That blueberry and cream cheese pie sounds good! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/27 "2012-10-07T19:49:05Z")
Roast chicken, smoked pork shoulder (I do this in tandem with my husband–the rub and sauce are mine, the smoker is his), roasted Brussels sprouts, garlic mayonnaise, and I make the best rub for grilled steaks and chops you’ll ever have. ---
**Author:** ![Bilbo1967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bilbo1967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bilbo1967)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/28 "2012-10-07T19:59:27Z")
Potato Dauphinoise - my kids are always vocally disappointed if I do a lunch without it. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/29 "2012-10-07T21:36:35Z")
Chana Masala (chickpea curry if you prefer). A lot of folk in Texas are 100% convinced that they hate both vegetarian food and Indian food. Roughly 95% of them come back for seconds 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/30 "2012-10-07T22:18:12Z")
I made chocolate truffles as gifts last Christmas, and I’ve heard about them every time I’ve seen Div’s family ever since, especially from one particular cousin who swears my rum truffles were the greatest rum truffles she has ever tried in her life, and who keeps begging me to make them again. I have only ever made them the once but it would seem that truffles (and rum truffles in particular) are now my signature dish. Div would say it’s my pumpkin risotto. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/31 "2012-10-07T22:36:18Z")
For birthdays, my family always wants me to make a Hershey Bar cake. For friends I tend to modify it into a two layer cake with cherry or raspberry filling, and I use an appropriate liqueur instead of vanilla. But the family likes the original recipe. For Thanksgiving - the one next month, not the one today - my apple pie is a big favorite. I heap it full of apples and the crust is fairly high - my Mom say it reminds her of the pie you’d see cooling on a window sill on TV. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/32 "2012-10-07T22:44:24Z")
Either lumpia, or my mother’s version of piroshki (which she called “perushke”, as do I). Also, turkey dinner, which sounds simple to most people, but for some reason a lot of people really screw the pooch on that one. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/33 "2012-10-07T22:55:20Z")
I’ve made so many gingerbreads for work events that I don’t want to look at them anymore. At Christmas it’s the peanut brittle… I make pounds of it. Anyway, me things we might need to get a doper cookbook together. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/34 "2012-10-07T23:06:56Z")
This is some kinda Omelet/Pancake/Crepe type thing I made up… Beat 2 Eggs with a lil milk and around a tablespoon of pancake flour, toss into buttered fry pan. Load up with what ever is on hand… I use salad fixins, cheese and a couple cooked bacon slices. Fold when bottom has cooked enough, flip once. it’s done when browned on outside. Serve with syrup and sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/35 "2012-10-08T03:19:24Z")
Konkani shrimp curry My ex used to love a Parsee style chicken (or lamb) curry I made with apricots, but my husband detests fruits in curries so I’ve never tried it on him. However the other day he hoovered down a Singapore Chili Prawn curry which is spicy-sweet so I’m thinking of going ahead and making it anyway because the way I made it, the apricots dissolved during the pressure cooking process. Hey **Tapioca Dextrin** …would love a recipe for your chana masala. My husband doesn’t like mine for some reason. Fussy bastard. That’s what I get for marrying a North Indian. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/36 "2012-10-08T03:41:30Z")
My Jambalaya is my signature dish. My family expect it on holidays and my coworkers expect it for the thanksgiving pigout. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/37 "2012-10-08T03:47:29Z")
I make a Sierra Nevada clone that will knock your socks off! I cook-up a Chocolate-Raspberry Stout that makes you fall to your knees. Food-wise, I guess Spagetti, Steaks, Ribs. Lots of Dead Animals. Teriyaki Ka-bobs are a huge favorite. Either beef or pork. I think I’m going to Pit myself… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/38 "2012-10-08T04:08:08Z")
Several things My holiday turkey based on Alton Brown’s brine and cooked on the grill, my maple glazed Cajun planked salmon is always a hit, ribs I love to do ribs, my chili in a crockpot is requested at every pot luck, and I have a grilled peach desert that people love. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/39 "2012-10-08T05:05:46Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > For better or worse, it’s Martha Stewart’s macaroni and cheese. Every thanksgiving, every meal with family or friends, that’s what people want. People swear they try to make it and it isn’t the same. > > I use two blocks of Cracker Barrel Vermont Sharp White Cheddar, one regular-size canister of Meijer brand grated parmesan & romano with half reserved for topping, and leave out the bread crumb topping. Meijer brand Cavatappi for the pasta. I agree, that is a winning recipe. Must be the nutmeg and cayenne. Although I use Tillamook white, gruyere and make sourdough bread crumbs. For my recipe, it is a spaghetti sauce with meat I have been perfecting for years. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970/40 "2012-10-08T05:52:23Z")
For my daughter: Huacho sausage and scrambled eggs. Family: Pasta with beef and dried Porcon mushrooms (Strogonoff style) More upscale: “Thai chicken” Eat until we die: Oven + electric grill BBQ ribs [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-signature-dish/636970.md?page=3)